Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-06-20
A Fortunate Chance.

ly and collectively.
According to tradition this was owing
to some bitter wrong inflicted upon her
heart when it was young and tender. But
however this may be, the antipathy above
mentioned was too real to be mistaken.
For over thirty years no mans foot had
desecrated her dwelling. Even the old
man that sawed her wood and did odd
jobs about the house received his pay
standing under the kitchen window, Miss
Prudence dropping the amount into his
hand with averted eyes and an audible
sniffie, expressive of her disgust at this
unavoidable contact with the detested
sex.
Miss Pringles family consisted of her
self, an elderly female domestic. and her
niece Ruth. She had taken Ruth when a
child, with the avowed determination of
making her as inyeterate a man-hater "a
/ herself. And in case she succeeded in
her laudable design, it was her intention
to leave her the bulk of her property
mot otherwise" as she often assured
| Cousin Jonas, the next heir-at-law.
Jonas Quimby was stiff, sour, disa-
| greeable old bachelor, for whom Ruth had
q particular dislike, on account of the
| pleasant way he had of snubbing and lee
turing her whenever they met.
He had remained single in the hope of
eventually inheriting his cousins proper
ty, knowing her aversion to matrimony,
and therefore regarded Ruth's adoption
by her aunt in the light of a personal
| grievance
But he took great comfort from Miss
Pringles repeated assurance; for he knew
| that young girls take as naturally to love
as flowers take to dew and sunshine
Every evening Ruth was catechtsed
after the following fashion:
Each man on the face of the earth Is
| false-hearted and treacherous?
Yes, aunt, was Ruth's dutiful re-
sponse.
Especially Young men?"
| Yes, aunt"
And you must never have anything to
| do with them in any way or shape?'
| I never viii, aunt"
| Whereupon Ruth was dismissed TO her
| chamber. with a grim smile Of approval
But Miss PringIe did not trust entirely
to precept; Ruth was kept strictly from
J all contact with the outer world, never
| being allowed to go on the street without
| either herself or her attendant damsel to
act as guard and defence.
| And with such formidable guard, bold,
| indeed, was the youth who ventured upon
a second admiring glance at Ruth's pretty
| face; for pretty it was in spite of the
ugly bonnets she was forced to wear.
| But the little blind god laughs at such
precautions.
1t happened that Miss Pringle was very
fond of straw berries, so, as soon as they
We're ripe, she sent Ruth down to the
meadow behind the house to gather some
= 20 strictly chargine ho~ IN look
| and speak TO no man
| Now it curiously enough happened that
| Mr.. Edgar Haven, who caught glimpse
| of Ruth tripping down the lane, was sud
| denly reminded of similar wish express
| ed by his mother, and animated by filial
| desire TO crafty it, seized basket and
proceeded in the same direction.
| Now Edgar knew his young neighbor
by name and sight, and politely accOsting
| her, offered to show her where the berries
were much more plentiful than where she
was picking. Startled by his unexpected
appearance, Ruth's first impulse was to
| drop her basket and run; but his look and
tone were so gentle, his smiles so win
ming, and his eyes so beautiful; and then
| it would have been rude.
She not only stayed but let him take her
where the ground was red with the ripe
and luscious fruit, and even accepted his
| proffered assistance in filing her basket
And then they began to talk, Edgar
| drawing her out with so much tact that
Ruth began to feel quite at ease with him,
| though she was still somewhat shy of the
| gIances of respectful admiration that the
| young man directed towards her blushing
/ face.
So, when they separated, doubts began
| to stir the gentle heart of Ruth a. to
whether young men were such dreadful
creatures after all or, if they were, if
/ Edgar Haven was not an exception TO the
| general rule
Miss Pringle praised the quantity and
| ffneness of the berries; but Ruth never
mentioned who helped her gather them
/ If she had, we doubt whether the virtu-
/ Gus spinster would have suffered one of
them to enter her mouth.
| Every day Ruth went down to the
/ meadow to gather strawberries, and, Gu
riousIy enough, Edgar Haven was either
| there or followed soon after. He always
| returned empty handed, but with his
/ heart full Of the soft blue eyes into which
| he had gazed, and the sweet voice TO
which he had listened
! And as for Ruth, she began 70 repeat
/ her customary catechism in a much less
assured tone and manner, and considera-
/ bic inward demUrring.
Are all young men 50 very bad, aunt
/ she once veutured to ask
/ To be sure they are, child snapped
I out Miss Pringle. 1T Is impossible for
me to give you any idea Of their deceit
| and .sickedness-"
/ Ruth sighed and betoOk herself 70 her
| chamber, her heart full Of the mental ex-
ceptIon to her aunt's sweeping assertion
t
| As cousin Jonas was thought to BE- to
| use her own words, '.only half a man at
/ the worst" and having disav0wed, both
/ practically and orally. any inclination to-
/ wards the chief folly aud weakness Of his
sex, Miss PringIe occasionally cOnde-
/ scended to hold converse with him thrO
/ the window. or pickets Of the fence that
4 surrounded her garden.
/ One day Jonas saw Ruth and her aunt
I at work in the garden, and stopped 70 say
/ a word 70 the latter.
i Ruth was al the other end Of the gar
/ den, tying up a rosebush. that was drOOp-
/ ing 70 the earth with the weight Of IT,
/ fragrant burden
Miss Ruth Is growing up very pretty"
/ zsroaned the old hypocrite, with a doIefui